Ray Cable to receive Lifetime Achievement from UNY-USHWA at Batavia

Batavia, NY — The Upstate New York Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association is proud to announce that longtime western New York blacksmith, Ray Cable, will be given their 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award for his over 60-years of work and dedication to the horses who raced at Batavia Downs.

Cable was born on March 12, 1945 in Effingham, Illinois and followed his father Phillip’s footsteps into the farrier business. He started shoeing at age 12 as an apprentice with his father, who shod horses at race tracks on the Grand Circuit along with many county fairs across the country from their mobile truck shop before coming to Batavia to set up permanently in 1960. Since then, Cable has run his blacksmith shop on the grounds of Batavia Downs ever since.

Cable has shod thousands of horses over the years and from every class ranging from the bottom claimers to the top competing in the Open, from the barns of trainers across the U.S. as well as Canada. Cable has shod some of the best in the business including the locally owned Bay’s Fella (1:51.1, $805,234) who won the $273,458 Breeders Crown Open Pace in 1990.

Ray Cable is one of  four brothers that included Chuck, Phillip and Leon, who all became outstanding farriers. Ray’s son, Ray Jr. is also an accomplished farrier and his grandsons Kelly and Chris, who are now both shoeing as well, make up the fourth generation of “Cable shoers”.  

Ray Cable will be presented his award trackside during the UNY-USHWA Night of Distinction that will be held at Batavia Downs on the closing night of the meet, Saturday, December 7. 

By Tim Bojarski, president of UNY-USHWA